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After a last minute scrub earlier this week, the Russians this morning successfully used their Soyuz rocket to launch a Progress freighter into orbit, bringing supplies to ISS.

It will take the freighter two days to rendezvous with ISS.

This launch extends the Russian leader over SpaceX for the most launches in 2017 to 17-15.

5 comments

My guess is that Russia will end up with 19, and SpaceX, 18. (Each has four notional launches on the manifest for the remainder of 2017; fair guess is that Falcon Heavy and the two Rokot launches will slide to 1Q 2018).

But this is very likely the last year that Russia will end up ahead of SpaceX. How far the mighty have fallen.

Today the FCC approved licenses associated with a SpaceX launch from Florida, NET 10 November, with the booster returning to land, which does not align with any payloads on the manifest. There is a lot of guessing going on as to what it is. NSF thread: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=43976.0

Edward: Though I started noting the yearly launch race count in January and was among a few that were somewhat ahead of the curve, I’m not the only one now doing it. I think it is the normal consequence of healthy competition: People notice and get involved in the race. It is, as you say, fun!

A long time ago I wrote an essay for a small comic book fan publication about the importance of fun when we talk about space exploration. We don’t just do it because we learn something new or because it serves the particular interests of our nation. We do it because exploration is fun.

We must always remember the importance of fun in everything we do. It adds spark to the activity, and keeps us alive.

Ah, yes. That January 11 post is among my favorite posts. When people ask me how many launches there are each year, I tell them “a little under 100.” I had not realized, before this year, how far that had dropped for a while in the first decade of this century.

I agree that fun is important. Fun and enjoyment are what spice is for. (Spice in food, spice for life, etc.)

“Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America’s quest for the moon… Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America’s greatest human triumphs.”
–San Antonio Express-News

Radio: October 16, 2017, 9:45 pm (Eastern) live, the John Batchelor Show, syndicated nationally. This special appearance is to talk about China’s Tiangong-1 out of control station module, due to crash to Earth in the coming months.

Radio: October 18, 2017, 6:05-7:00 pm (Central), Pratt on Texas with Robert Pratt, aired on 790-AM KFYO in Lubbock, 1470-AM KYYW in Abilene, and 1290-AM KWFS in Wichita Falls.